Partial transcript of remarks by Steven Czifra, UC Berkeley student and former security housing unit (SHU) inmate. The panel discussion on solitary confinement was held at UC Hastings College of the Law on March 19, 2013.

I’m studying English undergrad. And I am going to – I don’t know what I want to do for grad school. A friend of mine is trying to inspire me to go to law school. I don’t know. I don’t like lawyers so…[Audience laughter] That’s quite a frightening prospect. What I want to do with my education is – not to sound too saintly – just to be of service to other people. So however that works out I’m okay with.

I think the one thing I could tell anybody that’s interested about helping people in – you know, one person took an interest in me, and that’s all it took was just one person. And it changed my life.

You know, I’ve been out of prison for over 8 years and I have a beautiful family and undergrad at Berkeley and all that kind of extraordinary stuff. But it all started with just one person saying that – basically letting me know that – I guess if I can sum it up in a way that somebody could inspire somebody, it’s that you never know who you’re going to help.